KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Showing their toughness throughout the contest once again, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (6-0) remained perfect on Tuesday afternoon by taking down Wichita State (3-2), 67-63, to win the 2022 Hall of Fame Classic at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
Notably, this victory marks the second straight year in which USF has won their Thanksgiving tournament.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Catching fire from behind-the-arc to begin the ballgame, the Dons raced out to an early 16-6 lead on the strength of three early triples from Josh Kunen.
- Continuing their momentum on offense at the midway mark of the first half approached, the Dons maintained a double-digit advantage, 21-11, after five consecutive points from Isaiah Hawthorne.
- Staying strong on the defensive end as well, USF went on to hold Wichita State to just 23 points in the first twenty minutes, their lowest by an opponent in the first half so far this season. At the break, the green and gold remained in control, 27-23.
- With both teams going on to score 40 points each in the second half, the final twenty minutes of action was worth the price of admission as the Dons and Shockers battled until the final buzzer.
- After Wichita State had drawn closer at halftime, USF extended their lead back to double digits on Kunen's fourth trey of the game at 16:47.
- Following a made free throw from Tyrell Roberts at 11:59, the Dons were up by eleven, 48-37.
- Staying in front by thirteen after a three-pointer from Hawthorne, USF held a 60-47 lead with 6:22 to play. With the support of local fans, the Shockers came storming back in the moments shortly thereafter. Using a 14-3 run to trim their deficit to just two, 63-61, with 57 seconds left on the game clock, the Shockers forced the Dons to win the game at the free-throw line.
- Converting in the clutch, Julian Rishwain and Shabazz each sunk a pair from the charity stripe in the final 30 seconds to ice the game and secure the tournament victory with a 67-63 win over Wichita State.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Finishing with a team-high 15 points and seven rebounds, Kunen turned in an impressive performance on Tuesday as he shot a stellar 5-of-6 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from downtown. Notably, his 15 points and seven rebounds also tied his season-highs in both categories.
- Adding firepower from the backcourt, Tyrell Roberts and Julian Rishwain each finished with 13 points apiece. For Roberts, the Sacramento native also was a problem on both ends by adding seven assists and six rebounds, which were each season-highs, in a team-high 38 minutes played.
- As a team, USF held Wichita State to 35.4 percent overall from the floor and 33.3 percent overall from three-point land. Additionally, the Dons also outscored the Shockers off the bench, 16-13.
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
UP NEXT:
USF will head east to North Carolina in the coming days as the Dons will travel to Davidson for a matchup with the Wildcats on Friday, Nov. 25 at 11:00 am PT /2:00 pm ET. Last year, USF grinded out a 65-60 victory at Chase Center on Nov. 13, 2021. Live streaming, live statistics and radio links are available via the
team's schedule page.
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the USF men's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on Twitter, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.
MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Rep USF today by visiting the all-new USF Dons online store at
www.usfdons.com/shop.
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our primary sponsor - Provident Credit Union - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact
Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.
